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Why water makes schoolchildren smarter

We all know that good hydration is important for staying healthy and for feeling fresh as we go about our day-to-day lives. As adults, ready access to water helps us to feel better and (hopefully) make better decisions at important moments.

For children of school age the equation is a similar one but it is perhaps even more important to be well hydrated because growing bodies need water to develop. Plus, children are much better able to focus and stay alert if they have been able to drink several cups of water over the course of a particular day.

Getting good results

There is a lot of pressure these days on schools and teachers to get the best out of the children they’re responsible for and to deliver results in terms of exam grade averages. Making sure water is readily available to all children within a school or any educational facility can help ensure that groups of young boys and girls are able to remain attentive and focused on specific tasks.

All of which is particularly important when children are tested on their cognitive abilities, which means tests whereby a child is assessed not on what they’ve learnt about a given subject but rather on their underlying cognitive capacities.

These cognitive ability tests are very important in the context of teaching and testing among young children and they often involve boys and girls being asked to pick out the next matching item in a pattern or series, for example. But because these tests aren’t based on information being actively learnt and memorised, the focus and powers of concentration that the children can show is vitally important to their chances of performing well.

Avoiding dehydration

It is crucial for children as they develop physically and in terms of their cognitive capacities to avoid becoming dehydrated in their classrooms. Parents are primarily responsible for making sure their little ones drink plenty of water but schools have a responsibility in that regard as well.

Figures from the UK’s Natural Hydration Council (NHC) suggest that millions of adults are not drinking close to the daily recommended number of cups of water each day and that has a tendency to spill over and affect children as well. In fact, the NHC has consistently expressed concern that children in households around the country are routinely left to go without any drink of water for up to 18 hours on school days.

Keeping it healthy

As with adults, children with ready access to water have a better chance of keeping themselves healthy and vibrant. Certainly, regularly drinking water is a far better habit to get into than gulping down sugary drinks of any kind.

The good news is that it is easier than ever for anyone in charge of looking after children in any context to ensure they are well watered thanks to Borg & Overström. We offer a comprehensive range of innovative and eye-catching water cooling solutions available at very competitive prices.


Our drinking water dispensers are available through selected partners